Start with Arizona Public Access for case dockets, then use eAccess when you need Superior Court documents
Arizona uses two statewide court-access tools for different purposes. Public Access to Court Information provides docket and case information from most participating Superior, Justice and Municipal Courts, while eAccess provides online access to qualifying Superior Court civil and criminal case documents. Felony cases belong primarily in Superior Court; misdemeanors may be in Justice or Municipal Court. This guide shows how to search each level, obtain court documents, check appeals, locate state inmates and understand Arizona criminal-history limitations.
Which Arizona court has the criminal case?
Felony cases
Arizona Superior Court is the state’s general-jurisdiction trial court and has jurisdiction over felony criminal cases and misdemeanors not otherwise assigned by law.
Misdemeanors + felony preliminaries
Justice Courts hear misdemeanors, criminal traffic matters, issue warrants and can conduct preliminary hearings in felony cases.
City misdemeanors
Municipal or City Courts handle misdemeanors, petty offenses, criminal traffic and city ordinance violations.
Appealed Superior Court cases
Arizona has two Court of Appeals divisions handling most appeals from Superior Court.
Highest Arizona court
The Arizona Supreme Court reviews qualifying appellate matters and maintains its own docket system.
Federal criminal cases
Federal prosecutions are separate and should be searched through PACER and the U.S. District Court for Arizona.
Arizona Public Access to Court Information: the best first search
The Arizona Judicial Branch provides Public Access to Court Information as a statewide case-information search.
The Judicial Branch currently describes the service as providing case information from 177 of Arizona’s 184 courts, although some participating courts expose only part of their case population.
Open Public Access
Complete the verification challenge required by the system.
Search by party or case information
Use the defendant name, case number or other supported search fields.
Identify the court
Confirm whether the result comes from Superior, Justice or Municipal Court.
Open the docket information
Review charges, events, hearings, judgment information and available case details.
Move to the local court if information is incomplete
Public Access is a convenient statewide index, not the official court file.
Why an Arizona statewide search can still miss a case
Public Access is unusually useful because it crosses many court systems, but it is not a guarantee that every Arizona court case will appear.
Possible reasons for a missing result include:
- court is not fully participating
- court displays only part of its case population
- record is sealed or confidential
- name spelling differs
- case is too recent to be transmitted
- case is archived locally
- juvenile access is restricted
- case is federal or tribal
- case began in a different court
- remote information is incomplete
Arizona Superior Court criminal records: where felony cases are filed
Arizona Superior Court is one statewide general-jurisdiction court operating in each of Arizona’s 15 counties. Felony criminal cases are generally handled at this level.
Each county has a Clerk of Superior Court who maintains case files, certifies documents and provides access to public Superior Court records.
Phoenix metro
Clerk contact: 602-372-5375. Arizona’s statewide Public Access notes that Maricopa Superior Court displays criminal cases through the statewide system.
Tucson
Clerk contact: 520-724-4200. eAccess criminal-document coverage for Pima begins later than most counties.
Use Clerk directory
Arizona Judicial Branch publishes current contact information for every Superior Court Clerk.
Arizona eAccess: Superior Court criminal documents
Arizona eAccess provides online access to qualifying public Superior Court case data and documents.
eAccess allows users to:
- search qualifying Superior Court case information
- purchase available case documents
- view/download purchased documents for 24 hours
- purchase electronically certified documents
- verify electronic certification
Arizona also warns that eAccess information is not the official court record, may not be complete or current, and should be verified with the Clerk of Superior Court.
Arizona eAccess informationArizona Superior Court criminal minute entries
The Judicial Branch also provides a Public Access Minute Entry Search for participating Superior Courts.
The statewide tool currently states that criminal-case minute entries recorded in a participating court’s document-management system on or after January 1, 2010 may be available.
Justice Court and Municipal Court criminal records
Arizona’s limited-jurisdiction courts handle a large share of everyday criminal cases.
State-law misdemeanors
Justice Courts hear misdemeanors, criminal traffic offenses, DUI matters and preliminary felony proceedings. They can issue arrest and search warrants.
City cases
Municipal Courts hear misdemeanor crimes, petty offenses, criminal traffic matters and ordinance violations committed within the city or town.
How to search these cases
How to read an Arizona criminal court docket
| Docket item | What it generally means | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Unique identifier assigned by the court. | Use it for document requests and appellate searches. |
| Complaint / indictment | Formal criminal allegations. | These are accusations, not proof of conviction. |
| Arraignment | Proceeding where charges and plea issues are addressed. | Check whether charges were later amended. |
| Minute entry | Court-generated record summarizing a hearing or ruling. | Read later minute entries for changes or final rulings. |
| Disposition | How a charge was resolved. | Dismissal, guilty plea, trial result or another outcome. |
| Judgment / sentence | Formal outcome and punishment after conviction. | Prison, jail, probation, fines, restitution and other terms. |
| Appeal | Indicates higher-court review. | Check Court of Appeals or Supreme Court for later action. |
How to obtain Arizona criminal court documents and certified copies
The correct method depends on the court level.
eAccess or County Clerk
Purchase qualifying documents electronically through eAccess or request copies directly from the county Clerk of Superior Court.
Local Justice Court clerk
eAccess does not provide Justice Court document images, so contact the court maintaining the case.
City court clerk
Request public case documents directly from the municipal/city court where the matter was filed.
Local copy and certification fees vary by court. Check the court’s current fee schedule before mailing payment.
How to find older Arizona criminal court records
The remote systems have date limits, so historical research often requires direct clerk contact.
Arizona Court of Appeals criminal case search
Arizona has two Court of Appeals divisions:
Phoenix
Handles appeals from Apache, Coconino, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Yavapai and Yuma counties.
Tucson
Handles appeals from Cochise, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, Pima, Pinal and Santa Cruz counties.
The Judicial Branch’s appellate docket pages provide active-case information and current docket activity. Division One warns that its online page is a convenience and that the official record is maintained by the court.
Arizona Supreme Court criminal docket
The Arizona Supreme Court publishes active criminal case lists and docket information online.
The active-case list is updated nightly and includes current cases plus cases closed very recently. For older Supreme Court matters or official copies, contact the Clerk’s Office.
Arizona Supreme Court active casesSupreme Court Clerk: 602-452-3396
Arizona arrest reports and police records
Court records are separate from law-enforcement records. If you need an arrest report, incident report, police report, body-camera material or another agency-created record, request it from the law-enforcement agency that keeps it.
Police department
Contact the city police department’s records/public-records unit.
Sheriff’s office
Contact the county sheriff for sheriff-created reports, bookings and local jail records.
Arizona DPS
DPS provides a Public Services Portal for DPS-maintained reports and records.
Arizona public-records law: requesting government records
Arizona Revised Statutes § 39-121 states that public records in the custody of an officer are open to inspection by any person during office hours, subject to other confidentiality laws and court rules.
Arizona DPS criminal-history records are not a public people-search database
The Arizona Department of Public Safety Central State Repository is the official statewide repository for Arizona criminal-history records under A.R.S. § 41-1750.
Arizona criminal justice agencies report arrest and disposition information to the repository. However, DPS clearly states that copies of criminal histories are restricted to authorized individuals and agencies.
So how should the public research another person’s Arizona criminal cases?
Use public-source records instead:
- Arizona Public Access to Court Information
- Superior Court eAccess
- local Superior Court Clerk records
- Justice Court records
- Municipal Court records
- county jail records
- ADCRR inmate records
How to review your own Arizona criminal-history record
DPS allows the subject of a criminal-history record to review their own Arizona record for accuracy and completeness.
Start online or obtain a Record Review Packet
DPS allows individuals to begin the record-review process through its Public Services Portal or use the paper Record Review Packet.
Provide fingerprints
The paper process includes an applicant fingerprint card that must be completed by an appropriate fingerprinting agency.
Submit the required forms
Include the fingerprint card and contact-information materials required by DPS.
Review the returned history
DPS says a response, including any existing criminal-history information, is mailed within 15 days after receipt of a completed packet.
Central State Repository: 602-223-2000
Arizona DPS Criminal History RecordsArizona Department of Corrections Inmate Data Search
The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry provides an official Inmate Data Search.
Use it to research state-prison records and public offender information maintained by ADCRR.
701 E. Jefferson St.
Phoenix, AZ 85034
Phone: 602-542-5497
County jail and booking records in Arizona
ADCRR is not a substitute for county jail systems. Someone arrested recently may be held in a county jail and never appear in the state prison search.
For current local custody, search the official sheriff or detention website for the county involved.
Common public jail fields include:
- booking date
- booking number
- listed charges
- bond information
- custody status
- release information
Arizona warrant searches
Arizona does not provide one universal public warrant search that replaces every local sheriff and court.
Search the docket
Look for warrant-related entries in Public Access and the local court record.
Check the sheriff
Some county sheriffs publish warrant or wanted-person information.
Confirm directly
Contact the responsible court or law-enforcement agency because active warrant status can change quickly.
Arizona record sealing and conviction set-aside are different remedies
Arizona now has two important but distinct post-case remedies: sealing case records under A.R.S. § 13-911 and setting aside a conviction under A.R.S. § 13-905.
Sealing case records
Qualifying people may petition to seal records connected to a conviction, a dismissed/not-guilty case, or an arrest where no charges were filed.
Set aside conviction
After fulfillment of the sentence/probation conditions and discharge, a qualifying person may ask the court to set aside the judgment of guilt.
Arizona sealing under § 13-911
The statute allows a petition in different courts depending on how the case ended:
- court of conviction for a conviction
- court where charges were filed for a dismissal or not-guilty result
- court of initial appearance when no charges were filed
- Superior Court in the county of arrest in certain no-charge/no-initial-appearance cases
For conviction-based petitions, all fines, fees and restitution ordered by the court must be paid before the petitioner is eligible.
If sealing is granted, Arizona law generally permits the person to state that they have never been arrested for, charged with or convicted of the sealed crime, subject to important statutory exceptions.
Set aside under § 13-905
Arizona’s set-aside statute allows a qualifying convicted person to ask the sentencing court to set aside the judgment after completion of probation or sentence and discharge.
Federal criminal court records in Arizona
Federal criminal cases are separate from Arizona Superior, Justice and Municipal Court records.
Use PACER to search cases filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona and related federal appellate courts.
Arizona State Courts Building and Supreme Court Clerk
Arizona Supreme Court Clerk’s Office
1501 W. WashingtonSuite 402
Phoenix, AZ 85007-3232
Phone: 602-452-3396
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., except state-recognized holidays
Trial records remain with the trial court
This location is useful for Supreme Court records and statewide judicial administration, but felony trial records remain with the appropriate county Clerk of Superior Court.
Justice and Municipal Court files remain with their local courts.
Practical Arizona criminal court record search tips
Start with Public Access
It covers docket information from most Arizona courts and can identify which court has the case.
Use eAccess only for Superior Court documents
Justice and Municipal Court document images are not available through eAccess.
Remember the date limits
eAccess generally begins July 1, 2010; Pima criminal-document coverage begins July 1, 2015.
Use minute entries
Minute entries can explain what happened at a hearing when a basic docket line is too vague.
Check lower courts for misdemeanors
DUI, petty offenses and many misdemeanor cases belong in Justice or Municipal Court.
Search Superior Court after a felony preliminary
A felony can begin in Justice Court and later proceed in Superior Court.
DPS is not a public name search
Arizona restricts official Central State Repository criminal-history disclosure.
Check appeals separately
An appellate ruling may affirm, reverse or modify the Superior Court outcome.
Read the final disposition
Never treat the arrest, complaint or indictment as the final result of the case.
Using Arizona court records for employment, housing or other screening
Public court information is not automatically a legally compliant consumer background report. Employment, housing, credit, licensing and other decisions can be subject to federal, Arizona and local laws governing how criminal-history information is obtained and used.
Arizona criminal court records: frequently asked questions
1. Is there a statewide Arizona criminal court case search?
Yes. Arizona Public Access to Court Information provides case information from most Arizona courts. The Judicial Branch currently describes it as covering 177 of 184 courts, although some courts provide only partial case populations.
2. What is the difference between Arizona Public Access and eAccess?
Public Access is primarily a statewide case/docket search. eAccess provides qualifying Superior Court case data and document access. Justice and Municipal Court documents are not available through eAccess.
3. How far back does Arizona eAccess go?
eAccess generally covers Superior Court civil and criminal cases filed on or after July 1, 2010. Pima County criminal-case coverage begins July 1, 2015.
4. Where are Arizona felony cases filed?
Felony criminal cases are generally handled in Arizona Superior Court in the appropriate county.
5. Where are Arizona misdemeanor cases filed?
Many misdemeanor cases are handled in Justice or Municipal Courts. The correct court depends on the location and type of offense.
6. Can I search another person’s Arizona DPS criminal history?
Arizona DPS does not provide an unrestricted public name-search service for another person’s official Central State Repository criminal history. Public researchers should use court and other legally available public records.
7. How can I review my own Arizona criminal-history record?
Use the Arizona DPS Record Review process. It is fingerprint-supported and allows the subject to review their own Arizona criminal history for accuracy and completeness.
8. Where can I search Arizona state-prison inmates?
Use the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry Inmate Data Search. County jail detainees should be searched through the appropriate county sheriff or detention agency.
9. What is the difference between sealing and setting aside an Arizona conviction?
Sealing under A.R.S. § 13-911 restricts access to qualifying case records. A set-aside under A.R.S. § 13-905 changes the legal status of a qualifying conviction after completion of the sentence, but does not automatically seal the public court record.
10. Do Arizona state court searches include federal criminal cases?
No. Federal criminal cases are separate and should be searched through PACER and the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.
Official Arizona sources used for this guide
- Arizona Public Access to Court Information
- Arizona Judicial Branch — Find a Case Resources
- Arizona Judicial Branch — eAccess
- Arizona eAccess FAQs
- Arizona Public Access Minute Entry Search
- Arizona Judicial Branch — Superior Court
- Arizona Judicial Branch — Justice Courts
- Arizona Judicial Branch — Municipal / City Courts
- Arizona Courts Locator
- Arizona Superior Court Clerks Directory
- Arizona DPS — Criminal History Records
- Arizona Department of Corrections — Inmate Data Search
- A.R.S. § 39-121 — Inspection of Public Records
- A.R.S. § 13-911 — Sealing Case Records
- A.R.S. § 13-905 — Setting Aside a Conviction